Prostitution Has Moved from Clubs and Salons to Apartments
Brussels / Slovenia, January 12, 2025 at 11:00, Source: 24UR Fokus
Introduction
The report by the show 24UR Fokus opens one of the most silenced, yet economically significant topics of modern Europe: how sex work is changing, why it is moving into private apartments, and what consequences the fact that it is decriminalized in Slovenia – but not regulated – has.
🔗 https://www.24ur.com/novice/fokus/za-prostitucijo-na-leto-porabimo-85-milijonov-evrov.html
Belgium as a Turning Point in Europe
Belgium is the first country in the world to pass a law recognizing rights for sex workers comparable to other professions: maternity leave, sick leave, pension, and health insurance. Their work is thus systematically treated as work for the first time – not as a moral issue or a criminal offense.
This European shift serves as a contrast to the situation in Slovenia, where prostitution has been decriminalized since 2003, but is not legally regulated. This means that the sale and purchase of sexual services are not criminal offenses, but at the same time, there is no clear framework defining working conditions, safety standards, or social rights.
A First-Hand Personal Story
The core of the report is the confession of a 45-year-old woman from Serbia who calls herself Kiki. She has been involved in prostitution for a good two and a half years, and the decision was, as she says, strictly economic. Due to debts and the need to finance her daughter's wedding, she set a clear goal: to earn about 50,000 euros – and she succeeded.
In the interview, she emphasizes that she had to strictly separate work from intimacy: 'Every day I told myself that this is my work.' Now that the financial goal has been reached, she intends to withdraw from prostitution. The report presents her confession without embellishment and without judgment, as the reality of a decision made under circumstances of economic pressure.
Huge Market, Invisible Statistics
Prostitution is globally one of the largest informal industries. According to some estimates, annual global revenues exceed 170 billion euros. In Slovenia, according to the Statistical Office, we spent more than 85 million euros on prostitution in 2023.
How many people actually engage in prostitution remains unknown. As Polona Kovač, president of the Ključ Society, explains, there are no official statistics. Estimates range between one thousand and three thousand people annually, some even higher.
Moving to Apartments and Grey Zones
This is also confirmed by Žiga Sedevčič, an advocate for sex workers' rights and president of the Dobra Družba organization. According to his estimates, approximately 4,000 people are engaged in sex work in Slovenia, with about 300 active prostitution providers per day.
A key finding of the report is that prostitution has moved from clubs and salons to private apartments in recent years. The reasons are numerous: greater discretion, lower costs, avoidance of supervision, and a lack of regulated, legal workspaces. It is precisely this move that increases risks – both for workers and the environment – as the activity remains without clear rules.
Between Reality and Legislation
The report clearly shows the gap between reality and legislation. Prostitution exists in Slovenia, is economically relevant and socially present, but remains in a gray area. This means more improvisation, less safety, and more room for abuse – regardless of whether people entered the activity voluntarily or out of necessity.
The example of Belgium raises the question of whether it is possible for other European countries to transcend the moral framework and tackle the problem pragmatically, socially, and legally. The 24UR Fokus report does not offer simple answers, but holds up a clear mirror: the question is not whether prostitution exists – but how society decides to live with it.